PlayStation Vita off to strong start in Japan

Dec 20 2011, 19:47 by
by Steven Mostyn -

Christmas is coming early in Japan. Image: Sony.

After suffering a poor 2011 that saw its online business hacked and millions of user accounts compromised, Sony is looking to end the year on a high with the unveiling of its new PlayStation Vita portable videogame console.

And it would appear that Sony’s official successor to the PlayStation Portable (PSP) has already become something of a hit with consumers following its launch this past weekend.

Moreover, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan (SCEJ) has said eager game fans have purchased 321,400 units of the initial 700,000 units shipped to retailers within just two days.

“I’m so happy to see many people lining up for PS Vita so early in the morning,” enthused SCEJ president Hiroshi Kono ahead of the device’s retail release. “I can tell they had anxiously waited for today’s launch.”

It’s worth noting that earlier this year Nintendo sold around 370,000 units of the 3DS portable across its initial two days of availability. However, traction slipped significantly soon thereafter due to a lack of software support.

In order to help maintain consumer interest and sales momentum, Sony is offering up a selection of 24 launch titles specifically crafted for its Vita platform.

Although not a concrete indicator of the Vita’s long-term success, the original PSP only sold 166,000 units during its first couple of days on retail shelves. Its various iterations went on to sell some 73 million units around the world.

The PlayStation Vita will be released in North America and Europe in February.

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